Brothers to the End
by Apples Who Dance With Oranges
Summary: After the Battle of Umbara, Boil must come to terms with the death of a brother as the memories of his lost comrade return bringing both pain and suffrage to the Clone who finds it hard to move on without him. Boil and Waxer


**Chapter One.**

**Grammar mistakes will be common since my spell check it messed up, but enjoy.**

**I wanted to do a story about Waxer and Boil because theer honestly is none about them, which surrpised me especially with the recent events in the show to the duo. Enjoy and review!**

The LAAT Republic gunship was silent as the only source of sound was the low humming of the gunship's engine that roared loudly, but was sealed off by the air tight armored side doors that weer sealed tight to prevent the harmful space air from reaching the gun ship's crew and passengers. Inside, the personnel hold of the gun ship were the warn out Clone troopers of the 212th Attack Battalion, very few of the men within the gun ship were still able to walk and many weer laying on the floor of the ship with wounds both physical and mental.

"We'll be landing in the hangar in a moment men, welcome back to sanity!" The Co-Pilot called out loudly as the warn out faces of the Clones slightly cheered up as a spark of hope lit up in their hearts and their weakly supported bodies became stronger as the idea of a nice hot meal made almost every clone sit up in excitement.

Sitting silently in the back of the gun ship against a empty cargo box of bacta tubes was one of the platoon sergeants of the battalion and one of the most well knows men within the battle harden unit. He was Clone Sergeant CC-17355 but everyone knew him by his well known nickname, Boil. The Sergeant would always go around the transport after a hard mission lifting moral of the troops that had survived the ordeal, but no this time. After, the slaughter his company has suffered during the Battle for Umbara Boil had been suddenly quiet and had barely spoken a word to any of the men. On the ride towards Umbara the gun ship had been filled with thirty able body Clones but on the silent ride back only fourteen Clones were present many of them no longer mentally fit for combat.

"Serge, we're landing right now" Wooley called out from the front of the gun ship as he helped another fellow platoon member up the wounded Clone unable to stand due to a blaster wound he had received to the right leg during the final days of the battle. Boil didn't even looked up from the ground as he sat in the back of the gun ship still silent even as Wooley his second in command called out to him.

"Serge?" Wooley called out once more as a hissing sound of the door sliding open drowned out his voice, but for some odd reason Boil's eyes weakly looked up turning his gaze upon Wooley who gave him a slight smile upon eye contact with his platoon sergeant. Boil wanted to smile back to show Wooley that he was alright but as he tried to curve his frown into some sort of a comforting facial expression he was unable to. Boil didn't know, but he just couldn't smile back.

"Time to get some food in this empty stomach of mine, those damn rations tasted like Bantha fodder" One of the Clones called out jokingly as he as he helped one of his platoon member sup to his feet and sharing a devilish grin with his the two headed off across the hangar with the rest of the platoon towards the main hall leading out of the hangar.

"Boil, you alright?" A voice called out lowly as Boil's gaze slowly lifted from the floor of the gun ship to the curious face of Wooley. Wooley had handed off his wounded man to one of the waiting medics for medical care and had returned back to make sure Boil was feeling fine. Boil released a lwo chuckle upon sight of Wooley as he realized how carrying the Clone really was something that he didn't see much in the newer Clones.

"You remind me a lot of him" Boil muttered lowly as he pressed his hands against the old cargo box and slowly lifted his body up being supported by his shaking legs. Wooley quickly noticed Boil's shaking legs and without another thought jumped onto the gun ship to lend him a hand, but he was stopped in his foot steps as Boil placed his hand on Wooley's shoulder giving him a reassuring nod.

"Go get cleaned up and get something to eat, Wooley" Boil sighed lowly his hand still on Wooley's shoulder the two of them sharing eye contact for a brief moment, but to Wooley that small moment of eye contact was enough to give him all the reassurance he needed.

"Sure thing, I'll meet you back at the barracks later?" Wooley asked curiously as Boil simply gave him a nod and with this he watched as Wooley raced off joinign the gun ships pilot and co-pilot on their journey towards the now crowed refresher room to get cleaned up.

Boil suddenly dropped to the floor of the gun ship his breathing suddenly becoming heavy as he gasped for air, the feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him as he was laying the on the cold metallic floor of the gun ship. Tears filled Boil's eyes as they streamed down his check his hands shaking uncontrollably as he grasped his opposite shoulder cradling himself as he sat all by himself within the safety of the gun ship's hold. Boil felt as if he wanted to throw up, he felt like he wanted to run away from the war, and what eh wanted the most was to have his brothers back.

"This can't be real" Boil cried out lowly under his breathe as he slowly made his way towards the cargo box. Tears still running down his dirt covered skin Boil slowly grasped the cargo box's handle and turning it to the side he opened the top of the metal box sighing lowly upon the sight of empty bacta tubes some of them with dry blood on them that formed hand prints.

Boil released a low whimper as he dug both hands deep into the cargo box grabbing hold of something that he had hid within the box realizing that it wouldn't be good for moral if the men saw him carrying it around. Pulling the object out of the box Boil ignored the fact that a handle full of bacta tubes had been dropped upon the floor and with the hidden object now in his hands he began to cry eevn harder. Pressing the object against his chest plate Boil lost all control as he coudl no longer hold back his emotions.

"You deserved better then this war" Boil whimpered lowly as within his cradled arms as a blaster stained helmet that once belonged to a Clone trooper within his company. The blaster stained helmet had orange markings upon it with a collection of marking on them which seemed to keep count of the number of droids or organic enemies the Clone had killed and on the side of the helmet was a cartoon design of a small young faced Twi'lek girl nothing naughty, but more like a symbol in honor of someone.

Boil gently released his grip upon the helmet allowing it to drop to the ground between his shaking legs the helmet spinning on its top until it came to a complete stop. The inner frame of the helmet facing up towards Boil as within the helmet on the back rim of it was a collection of words that caught Boil's attention. The top line read the Clone's serial number which was CC-17354, which was just one number off from Boil's number meaning the former owner of the helmet had been with Boil since day one of their cloning process and training. Right under the serial number in thick black letters was "212th Attack Battalion, Ghost Company, 2nd Platoon." Finally, Boil's eye fell upon the bottom line and as his eyes weakly scanned across the final line he broke out in tears.

On the bottom line was one simple thing but yet that one word was enough to make the battle harden platoon Sergeant burst out in tears like a small child.

"Waxer" Boil whimpered lowly as he read the bottom line out loud tears now racing down his face as they ran off his chin and into the helmet. Boil no longer being able to hold back his feelings allowed himself to break down in the secrecy of the gun ship.

"You were my brother, you deserved better then what this Army could give you" Boil continued to cry as he struggled to get a hold of himself but it was hopeless as the simple sight of the helmet made enough to make him break down in tears.

"We promised Numa we'd return after the war" Boil said lowly as he finally was able to stop himself from shaking and slowly lifted Waxer's old helmet up into the air his eyes plastered upon the cartoon design of the Twi'lek girl. Before, that day on Ryloth, Boil had always through he was the stronger one but after seeing the way Waxer cared for Numa the off worlder they had never met before Boil came to the realization that Waxer was truly stronger in his own ways. Between the two Boil was the one who'd put on a macho attitude and Waxer was the more carrying one, but with Waxer gone Boil found himself feeling weak and alone.

"You always thought my mustache was stupid" Boil chuckled lowly to himself as he remembered the picture that Numa had made of the two Clone troopers before they left their village. Reaching into his utility belt Boil pulled out a cold sheet of paper that he kept within the safety of a ration pouch and slowly began to unfold it. The paper was torn up and stained with blood but the picture had still visible upon it. Numa had drawn Waxer to the left the bold Clone covered with hearts to represent his carrying attitude towards her and to the right was Boil, similar to Waxer but with hair and a mustache that she made almost the same size as his body.

"Boil! Has anyone seen, Sergeant. Boil?" A voice called out loudly as Boil's heart skipped a beat and he slowly rose to his feet dropping Waxer's helmet as he shoved the paper back into his utility belt. Peering outside the gun ship Waxer caught sight of several men including Wooley from his platoon their eyes curiously scanning the hangar for their platoon sergeant. Boil sighed lowly as he turned his attention back to Waxer's old helmet and slowly made hsi way over to it picking it up slowly.

"I guess this is it Waxy old pal, we both knew this day would come but nether one of us wanted to truly believe it. In all honestly, I'm not ready to move on and I'd trade spots with you any day but this is how things have to be. You're in a better place where you don't have to worry about clankers, those nasty rations, sleepless nights... and pain" Boil stated as he slowly exited the gun ship from the other side so no one would see him as he made his way over to the outer rim of the hangar where the shield generator separated him from the deepest of space.

"I'll miss you" Boil whimpered lowly as he pressed his lips against the visor of the helmet the memories of his best friend came bursting back into his head and with a single tear rolling down his check Boil threw the helmet gentle towards the endless bowls of space. His eyes weakly watching as the helmet pushed through the shields and slowly begun to drift off into space disappearing in the distance just how Waxer had disappeared from Boil's life.

"There you are!" A voice called out as Boil turned around to face Wooley along with six other of his men who weer from his platoon all of them still covered in dirt as they hadn't gotten the chance to wash up.

"What is it?" Boil asked as he slowly turned to face them his eyes slightly red from the crying but showing no signs of emotions as he faced hsi men.

"It seems we're being given replacements already and I think it's best we greet the Shinies" Wooley explained as they all knew it always scarred the new replacements to see the more veteran Clones after they had returned from battle especially after one a harsh as they had. Boil smiled weakly at the group of men as he realzied although Waxer was gone there were still others who he could continue elading, other men who needed him help to make it nout of this war alive.

"Let's go" Boil chuckled softly as Wooley threw his arm playfully of Boil's shoulder as the men walked off to greet the new Clones.


End file.
